The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Hokomalure’. ‘Hokomalure’ represents a new bigleaf Hydrangea, a perennial shrub grown for landscape use and as a potted plant.
‘Hokomalure’ derived from an ongoing controlled breeding program directed by the Inventors. An objective of the breeding program included developing a new cultivar of Hydrangea with dark leaves, a floriferous blooming habit and other desirable traits.
‘Hokomalure’ arose from a controlled cross made by one of the Inventors in Boskoop, The Netherlands in June of 2012 between Hydrangea ‘Sweet Fantasy’ (not patented) as the female parent and an unnamed and unpatented proprietary plant in the Inventor's breeding program (reference no. 07-120-08) as the male parent. ‘Hokomalure’ was selected as a single unique plant from amongst the resulting seedlings in August of 2014.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings by one of the Inventors in August of 2014 in Boskoop, The Netherlands. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.